The Harbinger
by elladora lestrange
Summary: Ancient magics and grudges have created a nightmarish reality. For once, it's not humanity causing the end of the world... but humanity will still pay the price if Roxanne Weasley can't stop the future by going into the past.
1. Chapter 1

Roxanne jolted awake as if electricity was inserted directly down the length of her spine. Her chest heaved and she gasped, clawing at her throat, trying to suck in much needed air. She took in too much and broke into a rapid coughing fit that sent her collapsing back onto the bed. She rubbed at her chest. The unconscious habit verified that her heart was beating so hard that it threatened to burst from her chest.

She opened her dark eyes, winced, and immediately closed them again, groaning. Her limbs were sore, her head was pounding with a vengeance, and everything seemed way too bright. Opening her eyes again, she finally took in her surroundings. She found herself in what looked to be a meadow, and judging by the light in the sky, it looked to be late evening. Confused, she sat up suddenly; the pounding in her head increased, making her dizzy. Clutching her head, she squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the feeling to pass.

As she began to feel a bit normal, she opened her eyes again and took in her surroundings: the bag laying next to her reminded her what had happened the last couple of hours. With this realization, the memories of the past - or should she say the future - came back. The brunette witch had mentally transformed. She was concentrating on her mission and the goal she so badly desired to achieve. Like blood on her tongue she could taste the iron fear that swept through the air, representing all those that had done battle there in her youth and those that had met their untimely early death due to errors, accidents and punishments. She would not fail. She could not fail; everything depended on it .

Roxanne slowly stood up and grabbed the bag next to her. She took hold of her wand and transfigured the bed into a little box and put it into the bag. She was glad they had thought of the bag and the bed, otherwise her landing would not have been so soft, and as for the bag, life would have been a lot more difficult.

* * *

Roxanne walked down the streets casually, as if she were out window shopping, searching for a safe apparation spot. Behind some tall bushes that leaned against a dilapidated brick wall, she disappeared and then reappeared in a corner of the Leaky Cauldron.

The _pop_ sound she made upon reentry was barely enough to make an old pair of drinking wizards look her way. However, once her equilibrium settled again, she nearly tripped over another wizard's cane that had been haphazardly leaning against an empty chair.

"Sorry!" she said, treading around the scattered chairs like an obstacle course. She secured her handbag as she found her footing again.

"Sorry about that, miss. I try to keep that area clear, but the regulars keep movin 'em back." The bartender, who she recalled had been called Tom, was just putting away freshly wiped butterbeer mugs on an overhead shelf. A floating rag to his left waited impatiently for another mug to clean.

Roxanne looked a little frazzled, moving her curly hair away from her face after nearly meeting the dirty wooden floor in a tumbling heap. She looked up and realized he was speaking to her.

"Oh, right," she said, looking back to make sure she didn't lose anything on the ground. Her hands immediately went to her chest where she felt the bulge of the necklace still hidden under her shirt.

"Get you a drink, young miss?" Tom asked, offering his levitating rag another dripping wet mug.

"Ah," she felt like she was caught off guard. "No, thank you. I mean, perhaps when I get back. I need to use the loo, first."

Tom nodded and pointed the direction. Of course, she'd been there several times before when she had been young and before everything happened, so she knew exactly where it was. She politely nodded and went to find an abandoned stall. She lucked out as the rest of the untidy facilities with burping wastebaskets overflowing with paper towels were vacant. She stepped into one of the four stalls and pulled out the necklace from under her t-shirt.

Roxanne swallowed hard when she looked down at the necklace in her hands. A lot could depend on it; she couldn't estimate the power the ring on the chain possessed. The long chain of the so-called necklace grew longer as she pulled it from her body, and like a slinky, it would retract the closer she held it to her chest.

Feeling ready to run a marathon, Roxanne had never been so anxious before. Her heart was in the right place, but doubt started to visit her. It occurred to her that maybe she was the wrong person for this mission. If she failed the consequences.. Roxanne swallowed the large lump that had formed in her throat. Her ears were keen to the surrounding sounds of the witch washing her hands and then leaving the room. All was silent, except for a drip from the sink that was left on. She looked down and saw she was standing in a puddle of water that was leaking from the rear of the toilet plumbing.

She turned her lip up in disgust and made a vocal disapproving sound. She walked out of the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She took one more glance up and down to make a final appraisal of her old-fashioned clothes before venturing off.

* * *

"Turn right _here_…" Roxanne muttered to herself as she glanced back down the street she had come from and saw a sign advertising "The Starry Prophesier."

Eerie music floated on the breeze out of a pub about a hundred meters away, and the reedy voice of an elderly man could be heard crying, "Poisonous toadstools. All varieties. Half-off tonight!" Knockturn Alley was an old place – older than Diagon Alley if rumour was to be believed. Stone footbridges crossed overhead, connecting stores and flats that could only be reached by Portkey, Floo or apparation. The gas-flame streetlamps were still lit this early in the morning, an amber glow lighting off the puddles in the street. Off of the main thoroughfare, the lights were lit twenty-four hours a day, most streets being too narrow and overbuilt to see daylight. Ducking under the ivy curtain of a low-lying footbridge, Roxanne took off down a shortcut through the thinning streets. Rainwater gushed out of the gutters from the deluge hitting the upper-levels, water almost ankle deep in some places. Moss crawled up the walls of the snug little alleyway, bright patches of moist green dotting the stonework.

Ahead of her was a six-way intersection, and she couldn't quite decide which _right_ she was supposed to head down to. Glancing around her at the shady figures lurking about, their hoods pulled tightly around them, and others – grotesquely malformed and dressed in rags, with a predatory gleam in their eyes – she didn't think she would be getting a reasonable response if she walked up to them and asked "Excuse me, where I can find the place with the sign that looks like a crudely drawn doxy?"

Finally, she settled on one way and headed down the street, hoping she'd picked the correct one. The farther she walked the more surreal Knockturn Alley seemed to become. It was every bit as exotic and new as Diagon Alley had been when she was young. Most of the stores were open, and yellow light spilled out into the street. It was quieter than Diagon Alley in the day time, but there was still a steady murmur of voices around her. The window displays didn't have the cheerfulness of those she had seen at stores like Flourish and Blotts, but many of them were beautiful in their own ways. When she reached the next intersection, she turned right again, as per Mrs. Tonks' directions, and let out a relieved sigh when she spotted a little alley. Right there, on the corner, was a tall, narrow building that had been painted pitch black, that had a crooked signpost next to the door. Dangling precariously from the post, one of the two chains holding the wooden sign broken, was a banner that was too crudely drawn . Roxanne squinted and turned her head this way and that, until she was satisfied that, with a lot of imagination – and probably a few gallons of fire whiskey – it did, indeed, look like a doxy.

Setting her shoulders and trying to ignore the horrible stench that came from behind the building – she hated to think about what was causing_this_ kind of smell on the other side of the building – she shoved the door open and walked in. "Hello?" she called into the room as she glanced around her surroundings.

Torches flickered around the room, bathing it in a warm orange glow. A fireplace crackled in the corner, and there was a clean counter with a few chairs in front of it in the back of the room. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, scrolls, and tablets, causing Roxanne to pause. _Did I walk into the wrong building?_ She asked herself. This didn't exactly look like a forger's den. It didn't even look like the place belonged into Knockturn Alley to begin with.

"Can I help you?" a female voice came from what she assumed was the back room. A few seconds later, a young woman opened the door that led further into the house. She was wearing pale grey robes so light that they almost floated when she walked, satin slippers, and her long hair hung down past her waist. She smiled and politely coughed into her hands.

Roxanne started when he realized she'd been staring. She was well-dressed, to her surprise, in expensive robes. "Oh, sorry," she said, clearing her throat in embarrassment.

She eyed her curiously with a mysterious smile, and casually brushed a lock of her light blond hair behind her ear. "So, with what can I help you today, miss. . . .?"

"Just call me Semele." Roxanne reflexively stuck out her hand.

She paused, looking at the hand hesitantly, before looking back up to offer Roxanne a small crooked smile. Her eyes seemed to dance as she looked down at her. "Just Semele, it is."

"I'm here to talk to, uhm, the Forger," Roxanne said, feeling stupid while she said it.

"Oh, I'll get my father then. Just a moment!" she said brightly before turning around and vanishing through the door. Moments later, she returned, accompanied by an equally well-dressed middle-aged man.

"What can I help you with, miss?"

"I need some . . . documentation," Roxanne replied hesitantly, glancing nervously at the young woman standing next to the forger.

"Ah yes, yes. Where from?" the Forger noticed Roxanne's gaze and smiled. "Do not worry about her; she knows the business I am in. In fact, let me introduce us. I am Asgard Eggen, master forger, and this is my daughter, Alcina. She does the books and is learning to take over the business."

"Pleased to meet you," Alcina smiled pleasantly.

"Thank you," Roxanne stammered in reply, surprised at the place and the people. "Semele Lufkin."

"I'll get some tea, Father," Alcina said and turned around. "Would you like sugar and cream, Miss Lufkin?"

"Just some sugar, please," Roxanne replied. "And please, like I said before just call me Semele."

"Just sugar, then. The usual, Father?" She waited for his nod and left, presumably for the kitchen.

"Why the surprised look, Semele?" Mr. Eggen prodded with amusement at Roxanne's still shocked expression.

"It just . . . didn't expect, well . . . this," she said as she gestured around herself, thinking about the stories she heard about how Knockturn Alley was in the olden days, before it happened.

"Ah," Mr. Eggen grinned. "I do have a cover to keep and after all not many find their way down so far, so it is quite safe from the Ministry."

Roxanne blinked in surprise. "Yeah. Good point."

Mr. Eggen laughed. "Now, what brings you here? Documentation, you said. . ." he noticed Roxanne's uneasy look, and was quick to calm her down. "Do not worry. I do not ask questions, merely what I need to know to create what you want. Now, what exactly is it that you need?"

Roxanne remained quiet for a long while. "Canadian documentation. Muggle passport, birth certificate . . ." she finally said. "The magical equivalents, too. And an apparition license."

"Ah, the entire personal identity set, then." Mr. Eggen's intense gaze nearly caused her to recoil from him. "You look a bit young to be a fugitive, or to be starting a new life over."

She eyed him for a long moment. "I thought you weren't going to ask questions," she replied, peering slowly over her shoulder at the entrance.

"I'm not, I'm not," Mr. Eggen grinned and held up his hands. "But you cannot fault my curiosity. It is not every day that I get a customer as young as you." He eyed Roxanne suspiciously for a moment. "You can pay, of course?"

"What's your price?" she asked dryly.

"For the complete package? Magical _and_ Muggle documentation?" Mr. Eggen stroked his moustache for a moment. "Plus an apparition license? Twenty thousand."

Roxanne frowned. That was a ridiculous price to ask, even in the wizarding world. A quick glance at the older man told her that _he_ knew that, as well. "I could _buy_ the Minister of Magic's identity for that. Four thousand." She tilted her head defiantly.

It was Mr. Eggen's turn to frown. "I cannot even pay the bills with that. Do you have any idea how much it will cost to get you your apparition license alone? And Canada . . . that is so far away. I will need to call in a lot of favors. I cannot do it below sixteen."

"That's a load of bull," Roxanne shot back acerbically. "I heard you are the best at your job," she bluffed, "but I also heard about your tendency to charge outrageous sums. Seven thousand."

Mr. Eggen shook his head. "I do not get many customers. And, as you heard, I do the best work. You go to someone else and the Ministry will detect the forgery on first sight." He looked down at Roxanne sternly. "Eleven thousand is my last word."

Roxanne bristled, but thought the offer over. It was still a lot of money, but she knew nobody else and it isn't like you can ask someone on the street if they knew a master forger. At least without getting an immediate cell in Azkaban and that she couldn't risk. Squaring her shoulders, she looked up and pasted on her best poker face. "And what guarantee do I have that you _are_ the best? For all I know, your work could be shoddy, as well."

"Ah, but I come with recommendation, do I not?" Mr. Eggen waggled his finger in delight.

"Which means absolutely nothing to me," Roxanne retorted. "I don't trust them, and frankly, I don't trust _you_. Eight thousand. Or I'll take my chances."

Mr. Eggen was silent for a long moment, a serious look on his face. Roxanne stared him down, but internally, she was quivering, hoping that she hadn't just blown it. She needed those documents, and she needed them soon, or she was going to get into trouble. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that she could get away without having to show some sort of ID or documentation at some point, especially during this era.

"Father," Alcina called out from the door to the kitchen, a reproaching tone in her voice. Roxanne's full attention was focused on Alcina in a heartbeat. "Are you harassing our customers again?" She came through with a tray laden with three cups and a kettle. Depositing it on the counter between her father and Roxanne, she frowned at him and shook her head. "You know how much it scares the customers when you do that. And one so young. You'll scare her away!"

"All right, all right, Alcina." Her father looked up and chuckled at Roxanne's confused expression.

"I apologize for Father's behavior, Semele," Alcina said as she leaned over, placing a cup in front of Roxanne. "He likes to play games like these sometimes, just to see how serious his customers are. He calls it testing your character, but I figure he just likes to tease people, when he gets the chance."

"That's . . . uhh . . ." Roxanne stared back and forth between the master forger and his daughter, unable to find the right words.

Mr. Eggen finally laughed as he drank his tea, taking large gulps of the liquid as he smiled heartily. "Do not worry, Semele. Eight thousand galleons is fine. How quickly do you need the documents?"

"Well . . . as soon as you can get them done, I suppose." Roxanne shrugged. "I don't know when exactly I'll need them, but I'd rather have them sooner rather than later."

Mr. Eggen nodded thoughtfully. "The Muggle documents will be easy enough, but the wizard ones . . . I need to send a message to a business associate of mine in Canada. Especially the apparition license might take some time. The Ministry is very thorough in checking and registering those. Let me go find out what I can do." Mr. Eggen got up and left, leaving Roxanne in the company of his daughter. Alcina smiled and pulled out a parchment and a quill.

"So, we're going to need some details for the documentation you wanted. Let's start with the birth certificate . . . name and date of birth?"

Roxanne thought for a moment. "Semele Artemisia Lufkin. Born April 30th , nineteen-fifty-nine."

Alcina dutifully noted everything down.

"Born in . . . Calgary, Canada."

"All right . . . moving on to your passport. Married? Single? Divorced?"

"Single."

Alcina nodded as she wrote it down. "All your former places of residence?"

Roxanne had to think about that for a moment. She didn't want to imply that she had lived in Canada all her life, and she had to explain her British accent somehow. Finally, she settled on one explanation. "Well, I travelled a lot in my life. Do I need to mention all of them? "

Alcina arched a curious eyebrow. "Yes. And the dates that you were there. Also there are your official school records and the equivalent of the OWLs and such. Graduation records, too so we can fill up the passport appropriately and all the other important stuff."

Roxanne groaned. "It's going to be a long day, isn't it?"

**I am only willing to further this story if there are enough people interested in it. I am aware it is not the most typical of stories, but I have some great ideas for this if one is willing to read it. So I would appreciate reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe you did that," Lorcan spat at Albus. "You are putting all our lives at risk. For nothing."

Roxanne's eyes wandered over his face and she gulped nervously as she looked into Albus' green eyes. They were still dull and glazed over, his pupils dilated. As she saw those lifeless eyes, it suddenly hit her. Why hadn't she realized sooner? She had behaved like an amateur. Roxanne raised a hand and cautiously put it on Lorcan's hand, who still pointed his wand at her cousin. She gently pushed his arm down.

"It wasn't him," she whispered softly. Her gaze snapped back at her cousin. He somehow had stopped all activity but now stood there with an empty expression on his face. He didn't even look at her but seemed to just stare vacantly in front of him.

Lorcan turned his head and stared at her. "What…?"

As an answer, Roxanne just uttered her words, "Take a good look at him, Lorcan. What do you see?"

Lorcan's eyes widened and darted back to his friend.

"He's been…?" he asked deeply shocked. "That's impossible. How could they have got to him?"

Roxanne shrugged her shoulders, grim expression on her face. This didn't sit right with her. All her senses were on high alert. She turned and quickly scanned her surroundings.

They stood alone in the middle of a hall-like room. The floor and walls were made of stone. Countless pillars flanked the walls and grew towards the high ceiling, melting together in round arches. Huge windows were set into the thick stone walls. Their glass had once been coloured beautifully but layers upon layers of dust had turned it opaque. Only dull light managed to penetrate the blind glass. On the far end of the room, the dreary sun shone through a round window. Its rays died even before they reached the broken altar which stood under the window. A golden cross had once proudly been attached to the wall behind the altar, but it had broken from its mounting and now lay, burst in two, on the floor. The gold colour had flaked off the wood long ago and now the sad pieces only gathered dust. As if swept away by a hurried hand, wooden remnants of pews lay in a mouldering pile in a corner.

Everything was broken and covered by dust. The place looked like it had not seen any human presence for years, which wasn't too strange if you thought about it. Roxanne balled her hands into tight fists as she let her gaze travel over the church. Seemingly, it was abandoned and empty.

Looks were deceiving, though, and Roxanne could sense it. Their magic, their craft, was thick in the air. When she squinted her eyes, she could even see a sheen emanating from the stone walls and the high ceiling. It was almost imperceptible and cleverly woven into the stone, but Roxanne could see it gleaming in a dull green light. One should always be careful, cautious and a observer; common sense was the best tool in anyone's arsenal in this world. There was no better time to exercise that common sense now, when they were at a greater risk than they had been for many years.

They needed to leave. Now! She threw a concerned glance at her friends. Her cousin still stood where they had left him, his dead looking eyes staring into space. Lorcan eyed his surroundings with an alarmed expression on his face. Roxanne was sure he could also see the threatening film that covered everything. He also knew they were in great danger. Roxanne took a step towards Lorcan and grabbed his hand.

"We need to leave," she whispered urgently.

He only nodded at her, unease clear on his face. Roxanne took a hold of Albus' hand which lay unresponsive in hers. Holding tightly to her friends, Roxanne twirled on the spot. She gasped softly as the dark pressure of Apparition did not want to welcome her. Instead of disappearing from this place, they ran into what felt like a solid wall.

"What's wrong?" Lorcan asked nervously.

"Shit. I don't know," Roxanne replied shakily. "I can't apparate. You try!"

Roxanne heard a soft gasp coming from Lorcan. " Roxanne, I can't…" he whispered, fear ridging his voice.

This wasn't possible. Panic started to tug at her. Roxanne closed her eyes, grabbed her wand and summoned all her magic. It crackled around her forcefully. But as soon as it came into contact with the green light, her magic recoiled. There was an incredibly strong ward spun over the whole church. Never before had Roxanne encountered magic like this. However hard she tried, she was not able to overwhelm it.

"It's a ward," she informed Lorcan breathlessly. "I can't take it down."

"I really don't like this," he replied softly. "We should leave."

Roxanne nodded. She threw a glance at Albus. He still stood at the same spot and hadn't moved an inch. Maybe he knew what this was about?

_There's no time for this_, a cold voice warned. Roxanne threw in a breath of air and collected her thoughts. This was not the time to panic. Decidedly, she grabbed Albus' hand and started to pull him over to the huge oaken doors which hopefully led out of this place.

"We are leaving the Muggle way. We can't risk using portkeys. Keep your wand and weapons out," Roxanne ordered and turned to Lorcan.

He nodded and made to follow her, his eyes still flying nervously around the church. Then he whispered, "Hope the gate's not lock-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as suddenly sharp cracks echoed through the empty church.

_Shit! Bloody hell!_

Strangely colourless magic seemed to gather at a point just above the altar, spinning faster and faster.

Roxanne and Lorcan took a wary step away as suddenly that vortex exploded in a surge of blazing bright light. As the vortex collapsed it ripped a hole into the air. Through that portal, powerful magic, if you could call it that, was pouring into Roxanne's world. Her whole body trembled as she was confronted with such quantities of seemingly dark magic she had never seen before .

At first nothing happened. The portal still hovered there, looking like a wound ripped into another dimension. Dark angry magic was bleeding from that wound. Suddenly a terrifying screech ripped through the silence. Roxanne felt her heart hammering away in her chest. Hand already half raised, her body froze in horror as she stared at the scene before her

She swallowed nervously as she could see something moving in the darkness of that portal. There was another angry screech, now closer. Slowly a figure detached itself from the portal. Roxanne felt her hands shake as she was hit by a wave of dark magic. It painfully wandered over her body and the fury behind that magic made her breathing hitch.

With wide scared eyes Roxanne watched as a woman appeared in the portal. Her body was still shrouded by darkness, but Roxanne could see her face. She was beautiful. Her smooth skin was white like porcelain, without any flaw. She had full rosy lips and her high cheekbones were only increasing her exotic beauty. Her fair face was framed by jet-black wispy hair.

Even though she was the most beautiful woman Roxanne had ever seen, that otherworldly beauty made cold chills darting down her spine.

The woman's face did not mirror any emotions. As if chiseled from marble, there was no movement on that face. Not even her eyes showed anything. Roxanne shivered as she looked into the woman's eyes. They had no resemblance to a human being. There were neither pupils nor irises, instead her eyes were two pitch-black orbs. They looked unnatural and out of place on that face. It was wrong.

With strangely abrupt movements, the woman made to come out of the portal. Roxanne gasped in fear as she saw the rest of the woman's body. Her torso was bare and as unblemished and soft as her face. Starting from the skin at her shoulders and her stomach, shiny dark feathers grew on the woman's body. Their pitch-black colour clashed with the paleness of her skin. Where her arms should have been, strong wings were folded against her smooth body. The woman's lower body was completely covered by the same black feathers. Half woman half animal, the creature looked like a twisted image of a powerful bird of prey.

Gracefully the bird-woman detached herself from the portal and landed on the flagstones of the church, the talons of her feet scratching sharply over the stone. Her unfathomable black eyes took in their surroundings, the woman's head following the movement abruptly. Soon her eyes fell on them.

The bird-woman did not react but just stared at them, her eyes strange and inhuman. Suddenly she opened her perfect lips. A harsh screech left her mouth. The sound made Roxanne flinch in fear. Somehow it must have detected that movement. She turned her head and her black eyes fell on Roxanne.

Fear paralysed Roxanne as the woman looked at her and then at Albus. Magic dark as night was swirling around the creature. The bird-woman released another screech. Then she spread her wings and with one powerful stroke of them she raised into the air. Swift as a predator, the bird-woman charged at Albus, talons raised threateningly.

Quickly Roxanne waved a shaky hand. A dark blue spell sped towards it. She could see that Lorcan had done the same, as another dark blue spell sped towards it. The moment their curses reached the woman it just disappeared. The curse's magic was sucked into the aura of dark magic which surrounded it, adding to its power.

Roxanne felt Albus being ripped from her grip. It was bent over him, held him by his hair and its abominable claws wandered over Albus' hair. Grabbing a fistful, it forced his head back. Roxanne stiffened as she saw it bend further down to him. Slowly, lecherously, it licked over the skin of Albus' neck. Roxanne shuddered in disgust. Unnerved Roxanne realized that the greenish ward which covered the whole church reacted to its presence. As if welcoming back an old friend the green ward burned up excitedly.

For a moment Albus still looked vacantly in front of him. Then his green eyes cleared up with a new glint of life. He blinked several times and shook his head slightly as if getting rid of dizziness. Roxanne saw how first bewilderment and then shock washed over his face. He struggled against the grip it had on him.

"Wha- what happened?" Albus exclaimed, trying to free himself. "Let go of me!"

His eyes frantically skimmed over the room. With confusion and panic in his eyes, he spotted Lorcan.

"What's going on?" he whispered, fear ridging his voice.

"C- calm down, Al," Lorcan stuttered in a shaky voice. "Everything's going to be alright."

Of course it didn't calm Albus down at all. His wide eyes jumped from Lorcan to Roxanne.

Albus continued struggling against it. "What is going on?"

Roxanne's stomach constricted painfully as she stared at him. She or Lorcan needed to save her cousin. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Albus's eyes widened with understanding.

"It's one of them," he choked out, fear tinting his tone. Albus's eyes widened in horror. His gaze snapped at Lorcan. "Tell me one of them hadn't had me in control," Albus stammered desperately. "I didn't bring you- I didn't bring you here, did I?"

Lorcan quickly shook his head. "No, Albus. No. It wasn't you. It wasn't your fault. You've been controlled. Don't blame yourself."

Pain crossed Albus's face as he heard him.

"Oh God," he whispered brokenly, his green eyes staring at the both of them, begging for forgiveness. "I'm so… so sorry, Lorcan, Roxanne. I didn't want this. I swear. I wasn't me."

She tried to smile at him reassuringly. "I know you didn't. It wasn't y-"

It snapped Albus' head.

"No!" Roxanne screamed, begged and cried.

Albus' eyes widened in shock. He was unprepared. He was not ready to go. A soft surprised gasp left him, then Albus' body grew limp and he sagged down to the floor. He lay on his side, sprawled on the cold stone floor, unmoving and completely still. His eyes were open, disbelief etched into his features. Albus lay there, lifeless and abandoned. Not himself anymore.

Nothing.

Roxanne weakly fell down on her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at her cousin. She couldn't breathe.

He was gone. She knew it. Gone.

She heard Lorcan cry out in pain and shock, but she couldn't make out his words. The only thing she saw were those green eyes in front of her. They were all that existed for her. This could not be true! _No! NO!_ Roxanne's hands balled into fists, her fingernails cutting into her skin. She didn't notice anything around her. Only Albus. She stared at him and she knew he was dead.

Roxanne couldn't think straight, not with those empty green eyes still staring at her. It took her an immense effort to pull her eyes away from Albus' expressionless face. She turned her head and looked up at it, a numb feeling ripping at her painfully. It scanned her, not a hint of compassion on its face.

She gazed back at Lorcan. Lorcan had fallen down beside her body; tears streamed over his cheeks. Roxanne knew no amount of tears or begging would ever convince Albus to come back. He was gone.

But they weren't. They needed to survive, otherwise Albus had died for nothing. It looked at them and then at Albus.

Roxanne's eyes widened in shock and she could only just leap out of the way. She yelped in pain as she felt a sudden claw grazing her left elbow. It left behind a deep cut.

Roxanne was crouched on the floor, on one knee and both hands. Her heart hammered away in her chest. Another inhuman screech tore from the its lips as it lunged at Roxanne. Roxanne scrambled away. Its talons scraped over the stone, leaving deep claw a powerful beat of her wings it touched off the ground and was airborne again. Lorcan sent a curse at it. Once again his curse was sucked into it.

Running out of harm's way, Roxanne tried to avoid the razor sharp talons which aimed to rip her apart. She ran over to one of the pillars of the church as pain erupted in her back. It felt like someone had drawn a knife across her back. The incredible pain made Roxanne's knees give in. She fell on the floor. A sticky liquid pasted her blouse to her back. Ignoring the blood and the pain, Roxanne scrambled away on the floor. By a hairbreadth she escaped its razor sharp talons. Roxanne rolled away and pressed against the church's pillar, aiming to bring the pillar between it and herself. Roxanne shuddered with exertion, wondering how to destroy the beast.

As if he had read her thoughts, she could hear Lorcans voice echoing through the church, "Killing them is not possible, Roxanne. She will hunt you till you are dead before coming for me. They are only fixed on one victim at a time."

As if to confirm his words, it screeched furiously, its talons angrily scratching into the pillar which kept her from her prey. On all fours Roxanne crawled away. She could feel the air brushing her from the angry strokes of the its strong wings. Magic was completely useless against it and Roxanne did not know how to protect herself. Her back collided with the church's wall and she gasped in pain. She could feel the blood running from the lashes as she pressed herself against the wall.

It had by now rounded the pillar and lunged at Roxanne, talons raised. Roxanne brought up another shield. Again it was useless against its dark magic. Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side, awaiting the merciless talons to be rammed into her. Till she felt something slam at her.

Roxanne still lay sprawled on the floor, her heart racing away in her chest. Her breathing was fast, her back hurt intolerably and her body trembled heavily as she raised her head and looked to see Lorcan laying bloodied on the floor and it surrounded by a white, diamond shaped shield a couple of feet away from Lorcan. Roxanne's heart clenched with fear as she heard Lorcan yelp painfully.

Heart racing away in her chest, Roxanne quickly crawled to Lorcan. A terrified sob left Roxanne's mouth when she reached him. There was not a chance he would survive the wounds inflicted on him.

"Roxanne," he groaned. "Listen, we don't have much time till my magic ends."

He reached for a ring hanging on a chain around his neck. Grasping the ring in his hand he said, "Take this. It's the only way for you to survive this."

Roxanne bit her lip painfully hard. Tears were starting to run down her cheeks as she clung to him. "It's impossible for us to survive this," she sobbed.

He threw in a shaky breath of air. "No, it isn't impossible for you." Very slowly Roxanne raised her head and looked up at Lorcan's face.

She found him smiling at her softly.

Her voice broke as she said, "But I can't leave you. I can't. I can't." Her whole body started to tremble.

"Yes, you can, Roxie. Take the ring and ask for Malfoy. He'll help you," Lorcan told her in a gentle voice as he wiped the tears from her face. "I estimate we only have a minute left before it kills us both."

Roxanne's eyes searched the room until she found that horrible creature standing not far away from them. She shuddered as she watched it. Obviously Lorcan had followed her gaze and soothed her. "It will not get to you if you grab this ring," He pushed the chain with the ring in her hand. "I activated it for you. It will take you away the moment it gets out of the spell."

She furrowed her brow, panic swirling through her whole body. "I- I should be the one lying there. It aimed for me." Desperately Roxanne stared up at Lorcan and gestured at her chest. "Me. It's my fault. Mine. "Fearfully she shied away from him, knowing that he would surely blame her now.

Roxanne stiffened as Lorcan grabbed her shoulders and forcefully turned her around so that she fully faced him. Timidly she looked up into his angered eyes. Then he said in a furious tone, "Don't you ever blame yourself, Roxanne. Don't you ever think that you are responsible for our deaths."

"But Lorcan.."

There is blood, and blood, and blood. Blood all over everything. It's on her hands, and clothes, and she can feel it caked and layered on her face. It makes her want to throw up, and so she does. She spits and spits to try and get rid of the long strands of saliva and the horrible taste in her mouth, but it doesn't work.

Her fingers curl in stone and dirt, and she's crawling. Crawling until she manages to get enough momentum up to pull her feet to the ground. There is a cracking in her chest and throat as she strangles air in through all the phlegm and bile, and her heart is like a dead weight in the hole made for it.

"Merlin, help me. I just... Albus. Lorcan." She's starting to edge to hysteria and she knows it, because her tears have made her blind.

Through her tears, she sees a movement, trivial at first, and then the outline of a hood.

"Help!" she screams. "Help me! Lorcan! Albus!" Gasping in air, and reaching out to clutch something, but there is nothing there.

Her eyes drift, and she peels them open, but they drift again as she hears voice just above her. Andromeda Tonks is in her face as she opens her eyes from that dark. "It's alright, Roxanne," she whispers, and Roxanne realizes that they both are crying.

There is a tightness in her chest that soars up into her throat, and it cracks and explodes as she breathes out, and she sobs. Pitiful, broken sounds.

"Albus. Lorcan," she whispers as she remembers what happened and does not know if this was real or if she has lost her mind fully to the war, if you even could call it that.

"It's okay." She heard as arms wrap around her.

It is not.

"Where am I? Where..."

"You are safe. You are at Gringotts. "

**An: Second chapter is up. So for the people who are confused this story goes like this: a chapter in the present, a chapter in Roxanne's past, chapter in the present, chapter in her past and etc. . I had difficulties writing this chapter. I want it to look as realistic as possible but I'm not sure I** **accompliced that. So what do you think is going on? I'm curious about the guesses. I will continue this story if there are enough people interested in it, otherwise I will probably end it here.**


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